Vacuum cleaner

Abstract

A handheld vacuum cleaner includes a pistol grip which is positioned generally transverse to a longitudinal axis of the vacuum cleaner that runs from a front end to a rear end thereof. It also includes an air inlet positioned forward of the pistol grip, and a vacuum motor configured to draw dirty air into a dirt separator of the vacuum cleaner through the air inlet and exhaust clean air from the vacuum cleaner through an air outlet. The handheld vacuum cleaner further includes an electronic visual display which faces generally rearwards. The handheld vacuum cleaner may be part of a stick vacuum cleaner.

The invention claimed is: 
     
       1. A handheld vacuum cleaner comprising:
 a pistol grip which is positioned transverse to a longitudinal axis of the vacuum cleaner that runs from a front end to a rear end of the vacuum cleaner; 
 an air inlet positioned forward of the pistol grip, wherein the longitudinal axis is parallel to the air inlet; 
 a vacuum motor configured to draw dirty air into a dirt separator of the vacuum cleaner through the air inlet, and exhaust clean air from the vacuum cleaner through an air outlet; and 
 an electronic visual display screen that faces rearward, wherein the electronic visual display projects through or is visible through an aperture in a user-removable component. 
 
     
     
       2. The handheld vacuum cleaner of  claim 1 , wherein the electronic visual display is configured to selectively display at least two different colours. 
     
     
       3. The handheld vacuum cleaner of  claim 1 , wherein the electronic visual display is planar, and is positioned at an angle of no more than 20 degrees to the longitudinal axis. 
     
     
       4. The handheld vacuum cleaner of  claim 1 , wherein the electronic visual display is positioned axially rearwards of the pistol grip. 
     
     
       5. The handheld vacuum cleaner of  claim 1 , wherein the pistol grip is positionable in a generally vertical orientation when the longitudinal axis is horizontal, the pistol grip extending from a lower end configured to be gripped by at least one of the little finger and the ring finger of the user to an upper end configured to be gripped by at least one of the index finger and the middle finger of the user, and the electronic visual display is positioned radially above the pistol grip. 
     
     
       6. The handheld vacuum cleaner of  claim 1 , wherein the user removable component comprises a pre-motor filter member which is positionable in a fluid path upstream of the vacuum motor. 
     
     
       7. The handheld vacuum cleaner of  claim 1 , wherein the user removable component comprises a post-motor filter member which is positionable in a fluid path downstream of the vacuum motor. 
     
     
       8. The handheld vacuum cleaner of  claim 1 , further comprising a control member configured to receive a control input from a user, the control member being positioned adjacent to the electronic visual display. 
     
     
       9. The handheld vacuum cleaner of  claim 8 , wherein the control member faces rearwards. 
     
     
       10. The handheld vacuum cleaner of  claim 1 , wherein the longitudinal axis intersects the electronic visual display. 
     
     
       11. The handheld vacuum cleaner of  claim 1 , wherein the dirt separator has a cylindrical outer wall which is concentrically positioned around the longitudinal axis. 
     
     
       12. The handheld vacuum cleaner of  claim 11  wherein the outer wall defines a dirt collection chamber. 
     
     
       13. The handheld vacuum cleaner of  claim 1 , wherein the user-removable component is removable from a body of the vacuum cleaner while the electronic visual display remains affixed to the body of the vacuum cleaner. 
     
     
       14. A stick vacuum cleaner comprising:
 a handheld vacuum cleaner comprising:
 a pistol grip which is positioned transverse to a longitudinal axis of the vacuum cleaner that runs from a front end to a rear end of the vacuum cleaner, 
 an air inlet positioned forward of the pistol grip, wherein the longitudinal axis is parallel to the air inlet, 
 a vacuum motor configured to draw dirty air into a dirt separator of the vacuum cleaner through the air inlet, and exhaust clean air from the vacuum cleaner through an air outlet, and 
 an electronic visual display screen that faces rearward, wherein the electronic visual display projects through or is visible through an aperture in a user-removable component; 
 
 a cleaner head defining a suction opening; and 
 an elongate rigid wand defining a suction path which extends from the cleaner head to the air inlet of the handheld vacuum cleaner, the wand being positioned parallel to the longitudinal axis.